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Of the thousands of high school band students across Indiana, few are selected to participate in the annual Indiana All-State High School Band Festival.
But one local teen was chosen not only to participate, but also to be in the honor band.
Thomas Cole, a homeschooled junior trombone player takes band at Warsaw Community High School for the first period of the day. He is one of the 169 high school band members selected to participate in the 45th annual festival, sponsored by the Indiana Bandmasters Association. Eighty-four of the students will play in the regular band, while 85 - including Cole - will play in the honor band.
This is the second consecutive year Cole has made the All-State Band, but the first year he's made the honor band.
"The All State Band takes about 200 of the top kids across the state. All come to audition sites from across the state. Not only is it an honor to be accepted," said Mickey Ratliff, WCHS band director, today, "but for Thomas to make the honor band is exceptional."
According to information from the Indiana Bandmasters Association, each student earned the honor by participating in a highly competitive audition in early January at nine centers across Indiana. Nearly 900 applied to audition, but only 169 were chosen.
"I just wanted to do it," said Cole of why he auditioned. "You don't really know if you are going to make it or not. You try."
When he found out he made the honor All-State band, Cole said, "It was kind of weird. Last year, I made All-State. This year, I made All-State Honor Band. Only a few from Warsaw ever made it, so it was weird."
But, he said it is an honor to be chosen.
He said what he liked about playing in the band was "being around other people and playing music is really fun."
For the audition, Cole received three different small pieces of music he had to learn to play before the auditions. Then at auditions, he played the music and was recorded. A judge then gave Cole a piece of music Cole never saw before and he had to site-read and play that piece.
"It's just you and a judge really because he judges how well you play. You don't listen to anyone else play," said Cole.
Thomas is the son of Sharon and Mark Cole.
Dr. Joseph Scagnoli, director of bands and associate director of the School of Music at Ball State University, will direct the 84-piece Indiana All-State Band. Composer Roger Cichy will direct the 85-member Indiana All-State Honor Band. A highlight of the concert will be the honor band's premier of Cichy's new composition, "Geometric Dances," commissioned by the Indiana Bandmasters Association.
All members of the All-State Band participate in a series of activities, including seating auditions, sectionals and full rehearsals March 11-13. A grand finale concert will be presented to the general public March 13 at 2:30 p.m. in the Musical Arts Center on the Indiana University, Bloomington, campus.
Asked if he was going to be nervous about playing in the Honor All-State Band, Cole said, "Not really. I don't really get nervous playing in a full band. ... It's more relaxing, fun."
Directions to the MAC are on the IBA Web site at www.indianabandmasters.org
